Broncos vs. Raiders: Fantasy Projections for Thursday Night Football

With fantasy playoffs upon us, there's plenty of reasons to watch Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos take on Carson Palmer and the Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night Football this evening.

Sure, the Broncos have already secured the AFC West crown (and did so rather effortlessly), but there's a multitude of fantasy-relevant players worth watching tonight, even if this intra-division game lacks the luster that the NFL was hoping for prior to the season.

Here are projected stat lines that will hopefully come to fruition and propel you to the next round of your league's playoffs.

Peyton Manning

28-of-35, 305 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Manning went 30-of-38 for 338 yards and three touchdowns in his first meeting with the Raiders. On the road, he won't put up such gaudy numbers, but he'll get close. After all, it's Oakland's secondary he's facing. Another stroll in the park for Mr. Manning.

Demaryius Thomas

6 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

Thomas averages a shade under six grabs and nearly 93 receiving yards per game. He slightly exceeds his averages tonight against one of the most susceptible secondaries in the league.

Eric Decker

7 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD

The same goes for Decker. He'll be targeted often, with the Raiders putting the defensive onus on stopping Thomas from beating them deep.

Knowshon Moreno

24 carries, 90 yards, 3 receptions, 25 yards, 1 TD

Hats off to Moreno. He has stepped in admirably for Willis McGahee and has carried the ball 20 times in each of the last two games with adequate results. With a big lead late, Moreno should eclipse the 20-carry plateau.

Carson Palmer

31-of-46, 295 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Palmer has six 300-plus passing yard games on the year and has surpassed that mark in four of his last five games. Also, he has completed more than 30 passes on three separate occasions. Though his statistical boom has come mainly in garbage time, Palmer has solidified himself as an underrated fantasy option.

In a feverish and ultimately unsuccessful comeback attempt—something that has become the norm for Palmer—he has another respectable performance.

On paper, it's a boost for Oakland's offense, but even when McFadden has been healthy, he has floundered in the team's new zone-blocking scheme.

Against a rather stingy defensive front seven, Run DMC has another pedestrian outing relative to how inherently talented he is.

Marcel Reece

6 carries, 40 yards, 5 receptions, 40 yards

Reece has been a fantasy lifesaver for many owners over the last month. Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13, however, he received only seven carries and accounted for a mere 56 total yards. With the team likely to bring McFadden along slowly, Reece should have a decent night.

Brandon Myers

8 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD

Myers has played at a Pro Bowl level this season. No really, he has. The tight end position has been horrendous in fantasy this year, but the unheralded tight end has been extremely steady.

He was held to one catch for 22 yards against the Broncos in late September, but was targeted 15 times for 14 catches and 130 yards a week ago.